Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1887-07-15
A Bureau OF Immigration.

1t must be anything but a pleasant
spectacle Tor the average Maryland farm
er to see thousands of immigrants yearly
carl led westward from Baltimore without
any effort being made attract settlers and
farm laborers TO tine fertile lands and salu-
brious surroundings of "My Maryland"
1t may be true that the virgin soil of the
great West and Northwest will yield heavy
crops without fertilizers, but there are
disadvantages which more than counter
balance the wondrous fertility of the
Western lands, To begin with, the immi-
grant who settles IN Maryland is spared
the expense Of long railroad journey,
and the ordeal of exposure to climate
which must strike him as being distress
ingly hot in summer and piercingly cold
in the winter. In Maryland the opera
tions of the farmer are seldom interrupted
for more than two months in the year
There are no tornadnes, no disastrous
floods; no long, weary and dangerous
journeys to market. The immigrant, of
any European nationality, can find paris
of Maryland that will suit HMM point
of climate-quite as we'll and often much
better than his native land. Probably
there is no other State in the Union which
offers such varied food products, such a
profusion of vegetables OF fish, of fruit, of
truck. Land Can be obtained on easy
terms, and merchants are as accommodate
ing as produce will allow, many overstep-
ping the bounds in the desire to show
hospitality and give encouragement to
newcomers. The next Legislature owes
it to itself, and to the farmers and land
owners by whom the members are large
ly elected, to see that there is esta blished
in this State Bureau of immigration, OF
character similar to that established in
all the Western and many of the Southern
States. In Southern Maryland there are
hundreds and thousands OF acres lying
untitled, and likely to remain untitled,
simply because no steps have been taken
to divert portion of the tide of immi-
grafton in this direction. 1t is safe to say
that any money expended in such an eff
fort would be returned ten-fold within as
many years.-Baltimore Herald
We are glad to observe that our State
exchanges are giving some attention to
the matter of Bureau of immigration to
bo maintained by the State as means OF
recruiting her agricultural and industrial
population and developing her resources.
We reprint elsewhere the we'll considered
views of the Baltimore Herald upon the
matter; and we are glad to note that the
Frederick Citizen has also given its en-
dorsement to the proposition. BY the
way, the stock Of Col. Baughman, the edi-
tor OF the Citizen, for the gubernatorial
nomination. seems to be just now decid-
eddy in the ascendent. Should the Col. be
elevated to the executive office, he will be
in situation to exercise large influence
toward the establishment of this import
ant branch of the public service. There
is no doubt that the people of Maryland
like the people of all the Western and
Southern States in which bureaus Of i'm
migration have long been in successful
operation, would cheerfully sustain the
small public expenditure necessary for
carrying it on. 1t is we'll said by the Her.
aid that the money thus expended would
be returned tenfold in short time and
there is no doubt that the men who take the
initiative in setting this branch of the
public service in operation will have a
high rank among the public beneiactors
Of the State.